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NED DAWSON 

W 

WILFUL LAND 


By 

JAMES LEE ORR 

A.M.,LL.B.,Ph.D. 


ILLUSTRATED 


M. A. DONOHUE & CO. 
Chicaso, 111. 



Copyrighted Nov. 1913 

BY 

James Lee Orr 


©CI.A358503 

Oa M A 


To the boys of energy and activity — 
boys in whom the fullness of life ex- 
presses itself in a ceaseless struggle 
to overleap the barrier of self-control, by 
which the great things of life can best 
be accomplished — this little volume is 
respeafully dedicated. 

A/\ay it teach them that effort, to be 
successful, must be wisely directed, and 
that *‘He that ruleth his own spirit is 
better than him that taketh a city.’’ 



LIST OF CHAPTERS 


] — Ned’s Temptation 

11— In Wilful Land 

III — A Dinner With Diso Bedience 

IV — ^Mr. Smooth Fhretence 

V — Ned Finds A New Friend 

VI — Ned and Mr. Shirk 

Vll — ^What Mr. Pastime Did 

Vlll — 1 ’m Going Back 

IX — ^A Race With Folly and Fear 

X — ^A Great Battle and A Great Victory 



Ned Dawson in Wilful Land 


CHAPTER I 
ned’s temptation 

“Ho, Ned ! Ned Dawson ! Where 
are you ? Come here this very minute. 
Mother called you half an hour ago. 
It’s baking day and she wants some 
wood and kindling.” 

“Ya-as, in a minute,” drawled Ned, 
looking up from the sod fort he was 
building to where his sister Jennie 
stood calling him. “That’s the way it 
goes,” he grumbled. “Something ’r 
other all the time. If it isn’t wood 
’n kindling it’s a bucket of water. If 
I 


2 NED DAWSON 

it isn’t a bucket of water it’s take out 
the ashes. A fellow doesn’t get time 
to do anything around here. Wish I 
could go away somewhere and never 
come back any more,” he continued, as 
he added another sod and a stone or 
two to his fort. 

“Hurry up, Ned! Don’t be so slow ! 
Mother’s waiting,” called Jennie im- 
patiently. 

“Ya-as, I’m coming. Can’t you 
wait a minute*?” said Ned more 
crossly than before. 

Grumbling and scolding he went 
toward the shed where the kindling 
was kept and gathering up an armful 
he carried it into the kitchen. 

“Thank you, my boy,” said his 
mother cheerily. “I need a panful of 



Building the Fort 







IN WILFUL LAND 


3 


apples, too, from the tree in the gar- 
den. Will you get them for me, 
Ned?” Then, as she noticed the 
frown on his face, she said, “Come, 
Ned, be good and help mother and 
she’ll bake you an apple turnover. I 
know you will like that.” 

Ned brought the apples but the sul- 
len look did not leave his face as he 
went back to play. 

“It’s the same old thing,” said he. 
“It’s always ‘be good, be good.’ A 
fellow can’t get anything without be- 
in’ good. Apple turnover is all right, 
but why does a fellow have to ‘be 
good’ to get it? Why can’t he get 
something for bein’ bad, too — I mean 
something he wants,” he added as 
he remembered things he had got at 


NED DAWSON 


4 

different times when he had not been 
very good. “Wish there was a place 
where a fellow could get things for 
bein’ bad as well as good. Bet I’d 
go there. An’ I’d stay there, too. No- 
body wants to be good all the time.” 

He was still muttering and talking 
to himself when he became aware of 
a little man standing on the wall of 
his sod fort and watching him cun- 
ningly as he worked. 

“Did you want something?” asked 
Ned. 

“Not as badly as you do,” said the 
little man with a polite bow. 

“What do you mean?” asked Ned. 
“What do you think I want?” 

“A trip to Wilful Land,” said the 
little man winking his eye knowingly. 


IN WILFUL LAND 


5 

“Wilful Land^” echoed Ned. 
“Where is that? Who are you?” 

“I am Mr. Genius — Mr. Evil 
Genius, if you please. I serve the 
King of Wilful Land. It is not very 
far away. Every one can do just as 
he pleases there and nobody has to 
Ise good.’ Would you like to go? 
If you would, we can start at any 
time. I’ll be glad to show you the 
way. Will you come?” 

“I don’t know,” said Ned. “I’d 
like well enough to go, but I’ve heard 
about you. Sometimes you get peo- 
ple into trouble, don’t you, Mr. Evil 
Genius?” 

“A scandalous story told only by 
people who are jealous of me,” said 
Mr. Evil Genius. “Do I look dan- 


6 


NED DAWSON 


gerous or troublesome?” Besides, 
how could I get you into trouble in 
Wilful Land, where everybody does 
just as he pleases? You do not have 
to obey me there.” 

“And can I come back if I don’t 
like it?” asked Ned. 

“Certainly,” said Evil Genius. 
“But it is not so easy coming back, 
because the way is all up hill.” 

“I guess I wouldn’t mind that,” 
said Ned. “Maybe I wouldn’t want to 
come back anyhow. I’m tired chasing 
around after kindling and carrying 
wood and water and being always 
told to ‘be good.’ ” 

“Nobody tells anybody to be good 
in Wilful Land,” said Evil Genius. 
t“And nobody would do it if he did. 


IN WILFUL LAND 


7 

Even King Obstinacy himself can’t 
make people obey there.” 

“Then I guess I’ll go,” said Ned. 
“I’d like to live where I could do just 
as I pleased. Maybe Mother and 
Jennie would come, too, after they 
found how nice it is.” 

“Perhaps they would,” said Evil 
Genius. “But if people don’t start 
when they are young, they are not 
likely to come after they get older.” 

“Then there must be lots of boys 
and girls there to play with,” said 
Ned. 

“Plenty of them,” said Evil 
Genius. “I, myself, have taken a 
great many there and more are com- 
ing all the time. There’s Will Ful- 
ness, who is a stirring fellow. Then 


8 


NED DAWSON 


there is Ima Sloth and Petu Lance, 
both fine little girls, and there are the 
Lence boys, Indo Lence and Inso 
Lence. They are said to be twins, 
and where you find one you are very 
likely to meet the other. Oh, there 
are plenty of boys and girls in Wil- 
ful Land.” 

‘'Where would I live in Wilful 
Land, Mr. Genius?” asked Ned. 

“I know a man there who wants 
all the boys and girls he can get,” said 
Mr. Evil Genius. “He is a friend 
of mine. His name is Bedience — Mr. 
Diso Bedience. He lives on Fret 
Street. He would be glad to have 
you, I am sure.” 

“What does he want with so many 
boys and girls?” asked Ned. 


IN WILFUL LAND 


9 


“He lets them work for him,” said 
Evil Genius. “He has a large vine- 
yard and raises all kinds of forbidden 
fruits.” 

“Do they have to work all the 
time?” asked Ned. 

“Oh, no,” said Evil Genius. “You 
see, forbidden fruits are all natural 
fruits and grow with very little at- 
tention. In fact, the less attention 
the better they seem to grow. The 
boys that work for Diso Bedience are 
idle most of the time.” 

“I’d like that,” said Ned. “I’m 
tired waiting on people and having 
to do things when I want to play.” 

“Just so,” said Evil Genius. “Then 
you are the kind of boy that my friend 


10 NED DAWSON 

Mr. Disc Bedience wants. Will you 
go?” 

“Yes, I will,” replied Ned. “Which 
way do we go, Mr. Evil Genius?” 

“Straight down the hill,” said Evil 
Genius. “Turn to the left at every 
corner. Be careful to never turn to 
the right or try to turn back. Keep 
right on going down. It’s down hill 
all the way. That’s what makes it 
so easy.” 

So saying he took poor Ned by the 
hand and the downward journey be- 
gan. 


IN WILFUL LAND 


II 


CHAPTER II 

IN WILFUL LAND 

Ned and Mr. Evil Genius jour- 
neyed on together for a long time, 
making many turns to the left till 
they had gone far down the hill into 
Wilful Land. Mr. Evil Genius 
proved himself a very interesting 
traveler and told Ned all about the 
people and places they saw as they 
went along. After awhile Ned no- 
ticed that it had suddenly grown 
quite dark. As the way was rather 
rough and steep at that particular 
place, they found it hard to keep from 
falling. 


12 


NED DAWSON 


“Are the days in Wilful Land 
shorter than ours, Mr. Evil Genius'?” 
asked he. 

“Oh, no,” replied Evil Genius. “It 
is not night yet. The sun sprites 
have just quit working and we shall 
have no light till they are ready to go 
to work again.” 

“What are sun sprites, Mr. Evil 
Genius?” asked Ned. 

“They are the little workers that 
tend the sun’s lamps and keep them 
in order so the light will continue 
to shine for us,” said Evil Genius. 
“But, as everybody does just as he 
pleases here, they sometimes quit 
work and let the lamps go nearly 
out.” 

“Can’t the King keep them at work 


IN WILFUL LAND 


13 


as long as people need the light?” 
asked Ned. 

“No,” said Evil Genius. “King 
Obstinacy is sometimes very cross and 
not always reasonable. He often in- 
sists on having things done that other 
people do not like and his subjects 
do not obey him as loyally as they 
would if he treated them more kindly. 
Many of his people are glad to see 
the sun sprites disobey him even if it 
does leave the whole realm in dark- 
ness for a while. It is easier to get 
good service by love and kindness 
than by being harsh and cruel. If 
the sun sprites are not willing to give 
us light we shall have to go in the 
dark.” 

“That seems funny,” said Ned. 


H 


NED DAWSON 


“Suppose they should refuse to work 
for a week or more at a time?” 

“Then we should have no light,” 
said Evil Genius. 

“But, when would people sleep?” 
asked Ned. 

“Whenever they pleased,” said 
Evil Genius. “People don’t sleep 
much here anyhow. At any rate 
everybody does just as he pleases. 
Would you like to sleep?” 

“No,” said Ned. “But I wouldn’t 
mind having something good to eat. 
Does anybody here ever bake apple 
turnovers?” 

“Not that I know of,” replied Evil 
Genius. “But if you are hungry we’ll 
ask Mr. Diso Bedience to give you 


IN WILFUL LAND 


15 

something as soon as we arrive. We 
are not far from there now.” 

In a little while they came to the 
home of Mr. Diso Bedience. His 
place is the first in Wilful Land at 
which visitors usually stop. It did 
not look very attractive to Ned at 
first. The house was a large, ram- 
shackle building that seemed to have 
been built, one section at a time, by 
many different builders and looked 
like patch work of no very pleasing 
pattern. The lawn was overgrown 
with thistles and briars that stung 
and scratched whenever one touched 
them, and there were broken places in 
the walks in which one was apt to trip 
and fall. Just in front of the en- 
trance was a great heap of broken 


i6 NED DAWSON 

furniture and unused goods of every 
description that gave the place more 
the appearance of a junk-shop than 
of a home. 

“It doesn’t look like a very nice 
place,” said Ned. 

“Not at first sight,” said Evil 
Genius. “But you’ll get used to it 
after awhile, and then you won’t 
mind it.” 

“I wonder why all that rubbish is 
left there said Ned. 

“That*?” replied Evil Genius. “Oh, 
that is merely a lot of useless rules 
and broken promises that people who 
come here have found it necessary to 
get rid of from time to time. It really 
ought to be taken away and disposed 
of, but Mr. Diso Bedience is so busy 


IN WILFUL LAND 


17 


taking care of his forbidden fruits 
that he has no time to attend to it.” 

“I wonder if he’ll want me to clear 
it away?” said Ned. 

“No fear of that,” said Evil Gen- 
ius. “You’ll find enough to do help- 
ing with the fruits.” 

“What kind of fruit does he grow 
most?” asked Ned. 

“Oh, sour grapes, choke cherries, 
thorn apples, bitter regrets and many 
others,” replied Evil Genius. 

“I don’t believe I’ll like any of 
them,” said Ned. 

“Perhaps not, at first,” said Evil 
Genius. “But you’ll soon get used to 
them. I wouldn’t tell Mr. Diso Be- 
dience that I didn’t like them if I 
were you. Tell him they are all 


1 8 NED DAWSON 

sweet and good, if he asks you about 
it.” 

“But, that would not be telling the 
truth,” said Ned. 

Mr. Evil Genius threw back his 
head and laughed loud and long. 
“Ha, ha, ha, ha ! Just hear him talk !” 
said he. “He is going to live in Wil- 
ful Land and always tell the truth. 
Ho, ho, ho, ho! Could anything 
really be funnier than that? Get 
over it, Ned, get over it. It’s too 
much trouble to always tell the truth 
here. Besides, nobody else ever does 
it.” 

“Then I think I’d better go back,” 
said Ned. 

“You’d find it harder than you 
think to get back up that long steep 


IN WILFUL LAND 


19 

hill,” said Evil Genius. “Come, Ned, 
don’t be a coward and a baby. Go 
ahead like a man. We’ll find Mr. 
Diso Bedience and have him give you 
something to eat. After that you’ll 
feel better. I’m sure he’ll have plenty 
of work for you.” 

“But, you said Mr. Diso Bedience 
wanted boys who liked play better 
than work,” said Ned. 

“Did I?” asked Evil Genius. “I 
must have been thinking of something 
else. Of course, Mr. Diso Bedience 
wants everybody to work. How else 
could all the forbidden fruit be taken 
care of? But the work is no harder 
than play. Besides, if he makes you 
work too hard you can run away 
again. I know a Mr. Smooth Pre- 


20 


NED DAWSON 


tence who will be glad to have you. 
But, here comes Mr. Diso Bedience, 
himself. Now we will see what he 
can give us for dinner.” 


IN WILFUL LAND 


21 


CHAPTER III 

A DINNER WITH DISC BEDIENCE 

While Ned and Evil Genius talked 
the sun sprites had gone to work again 
and now they could see Mr. Diso Be- 
dience very plainly as he came toward 
them. Ned was not very favorably 
impressed with his looks. He was a 
cross and sullen looking man with 
weak and shifty eyes that never 
looked anyone straight in the face. 
One could see that he had had lots 
of trouble and that it had completely 
spoiled his temper. As he caught 
sight of Ned and Evil Genius the 
crafty look on his face deepened till 
it was almost a sneer. 


22 


NED DAWSON 


“Well,” he said. “You here again? 
Who have you got this time? What 
do you want, anyhow?” 

“This is my new friend, Ned Daw- 
son, Mr. Diso Bedience,” said Evil 
Genius. “He wants to work for you. 
But he is very hungry and must have 
some dinner first. Can you give him 
something to eat?” 

“Not till I know what he’s here 
for and what he’s going to do,” said 
Diso Bedience. “I’m tired feeding 
tramps. If people want me to feed 
them they must do my work.” 

“Oh, Ned’s willing to work. Aren’t 
you Ned?” said Evil Genius, wink- 
ing to Ned to be careful what he 
said. 

“Yes,” said Ned. “I’ll work some. 


IN WILFUL LAND 


23 


but I want a little time to play, too. 
And I’m not a tramp, either.” 

“There you go,” said Diso Bedi- 
ence with a sneer. “Just like all the 
rest of ’em. I’ve never had a good 
boy come here yet. They all want 
to play more than work. And if they 
can’t have their own way they get 
saucy and impudent. Well, he can’t 
stay here unless he’ll work.” 

“What kind of work would you 
want me to do, Mr. Diso Bedience?” 
asked Ned. 

“Do whatever I tell you to,” said 
Diso Bedience. “What difference does 
it make what you do so long as you 
are clothed and fed? Do you expect 
to do just as you please when you 
work for me?” 


24 


NED DAWSON 


“No, not all the time,” said Ned. 
“But rd like to do as I please some- 
times. Mr. Evil Genius said every- 
body could do just as he pleased 
here.” 

“He did, eh?” said Diso Bedience. 
“Well, they can’t do it in my house. 
Nobody gets anything from me with- 
out earning it. If you work for me 
ril feed you. If you don’t you go 
hungry, and that’s all there is to it. 
I do as / please here, and you do what 
I tell you.” 

“I’m very hungry now, Mr. Diso 
Bedience,” said Ned. “I’ll be glad 
to work for you if you’ll give me an 
apple turnover.” 

“Apple fiddlesticks,” said Diso Be- 
dience. “Why don’t you ask for hum- 


IN WILFUL LAND 


25 


mingbird pie? You’d be just as likely 
to get it. There’ll be no apple turn- 
overs here. You’ll eat what you get 
as other people do. And you’ll earn 
what you eat or you won’t eat at all. 
No idlers in my house if I know it, 
and no dainties either.” 

Poor Ned. He was so hungry and 
so discouraged that he almost cried. 
Mr. Diso Bedience told them they 
could wait for dinner if they wanted 
to and then he went away and left 
them together. 

‘'So, this is the good time you 
promised me in Wilful Land, is it?” 
asked Ned. “Well, Mr. Evil Gen- 
ius, it will be a long, long time before 
I listen to you again.” 

“Oh, fuddle,” said Evil Genius. 


26 


NED DAWSON 


“What’s the use of getting fussy? 
Diso Bedience isn’t half as bad as he 
pretends to be. He’s just a little out 
of sorts today. Tomorrow he’ll be all 
right again. Wait till you’ve had 
your dinner and get started to work. 
You’ll feel better then.” 

“But, that was all a story about 
everybody doing as he pleased here,” 
said Ned. “Why did you tell me 
that?” 

“To get you started,” said Evil 
Genius. “You would never have 
come without it.” 

“If it’s to be like this I’ll soon wish 
I hadn’t come,” replied Ned. 

Before they could say anything 
further dinner was announced. At 
the table Ned found himself seated 


IN WILFUL LAND 


27 


with several other hoys of his own age 
all apparently as hungry as himself. 
None of them seemed cheerful and 
contented. They all looked sullen 
and acted as if they were half starved, 
and their faces were bruised and 
scratched as if they had been fighting. 
As soon as they sat down they began 
to clamor and quarrel and snatch each 
other’s food so that the larger and 
stronger ones got most of what there 
was on the table. Poor Ned got very 
little and what he did get was poorly 
cooked and almost unfit to eat. Mr. 
Diso Bedience stormed and scolded 
all the time but he showed very little 
control over the boys and seemed to 
be worried more by the cost of the 
food than by the bad manners of his 


28 


NED DAWSON 


family. Of course he managed to get 
the largest and best portion of the 
dinner on his own plate but while he 
was scolding and berating the boys 
for eating so much, Mr. Evil Genius, 
who sat next to him, managed to steal 
it nearly all away from him and slip 
it into his pocket. When Diso Bedi- 
ence discovered the loss of his dinner 
he accused the boy next to him of 
taking it and cuffed him most bru- 
tally, at which Evil Genius only 
laughed. But Ned knew who had 
stolen the dinner. 

“Well,” said Ned to himself. “I 
can’t stay here, that’s certain. I’d 
starve to death in a week. I’d rather 
run errands forever than live in such 
a place as this. Evil Genius has de- 





A Dinner With Disc Bedience 







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- 4 * 







IN WILFUL LAND 


29 

ceived me. I wonder if I could find 
my way back home without him.” 

As soon as they had finished eating, 
Mr. Diso Bedience began to storm and 
scold at the boys again and drove 
them back to work in his vineyard. 

“Get along there, Ned,” said he 
crossly. “You go with the others and 
see that you do enough work to pay 
for the good dinner you’ve had. No 
idlers around here, remember. It’s 
either work or starve. You come 
with me. Evil Genius,” he continued. 
“I’ll not trust you with the boys. 
You’re all right to bring them here, 
but I’ll not have you meddling with 
them after I get them.” 

So saying he and Evil Genius went 
away and left the boys to their work. 


30 


NED DAWSON 


Ned did not know at first just what 
he was to do but he watched the other 
boys and soon found out that most of 
their time was spent in quarreling and 
fighting among themselves. If one of 
them did undertake to up-root and de- 
stroy any of the briars and thistles 
that grew everywhere another was 
sure to slip up behind and trip him or 
push him into the bushes so that he 
got dreadfully scratched by the thorns. 
Then they would quarrel and fight 
about it instead of trying to destroy 
the weeds. Ned was still very hun- 
gry and tasted some of the forbidden 
fruits, but they were all fearfully bit- 
ter and he could not eat them. At 
last he determined to run away and 
taking advantage of a moment when 


IN WILFUL LAND 31 

the sun sprites had quit working and 
it was quite dark he slipped out of the 
vineyard and started down the rough, 
steep road that Evil Genius had told 
him led to Mr. Smooth Pretence’s 
home. 

Poor Ned! If he had only started 
up the hill instead of down how much 
better it would have been. 


32 


NED DAWSON 


CHAPTER IV 

MR. SMOOTH PRETENCE 

Ned hurried along as fast as he 
could, going farther and farther down 
hill all the time. Once or twice he 
was tempted to turn to the right, but 
he remembered what Evil Genius had 
told him about the turns and, acting 
under that wicked influence more 
from habit than otherwise, he turned 
to the left instead. The further he 
went the steeper and rougher the 
path grew and, although the sun 
sprites had gone to work again and 
the light shone as brightly as ever, 
he got several hard falls that hurt 


IN WILFUL LAND 


33 


and bruised him dreadfully, and he 
felt weaker after every fall. When 
he had walked on for a long time and 
was less afraid of Evil Genius and 
Diso Bedience, he came to a pretty 
little house set in the midst of flowers 
and shrubbery. It looked so quiet 
and peaceful that he knocked at the 
door to find out who lived there. A 
pleasant looking little man answered 
his knock and when he saw how tired 
and worn Ned was asked him to come 
in and rest. 

“Thank you,” said Ned. “I shall 
be glad to if you will let me. I don’t 
want Evil Genius or Mr. Diso Bedi- 
ence to get me again.” 

“Ah,” said the little man, with a 
knowing look. “So you have been 


34 


NED DAWSON 


with Disc Bedience, have you? Well, 
I am not surprised that you want to 
rest, if what I hear is true. They say 
he is very cross and cruel to his boys. 
But, how did you come to go there?” 

“Mr. Evil Genius took me there 
to find work,” said Ned. “But, I’d 
rather work at home than live there. 
They hadn’t half enough to eat and 
the boys quarreled all the time.” 

“A pretty bad crowd, I should say,” 
said the little man. “Evil Genius 
takes lots of boys there and very few 
of them ever get away.” 

‘Will you tell me who you are?” 
asked Ned. 

“Certainly,” replied the little man. 
“I am Mr. Smooth Pretence.” 

“Then this is the very place Evil 


IN WILFUL LAND 


35 


Genius told me to come,” said Ned. 
“I hope you will not let him take me 
away again.” 

“No indeed,” said Smooth Pre- 
tence. “Nobody ever gets any of my 
boys away from me if I can help it. 
I need them all.” 

“What do you do with them, Mr. 
Pretence,” asked Ned. 

“Oh, I teach them how to get things 
easily and live without hard work,” 
said Smooth Pretence. “I have two 
very good friends that help me to 
teach them. They are Johnnie Lie 
and Willie Steal. They will soon be 
here and you can meet them. They 
are jolly good fellows to know.” 

“I should like to live without 


NED DAWSON 


36 

work,” said Ned. “That is what I 
ran away from home for. But so far 
I have had more trouble than I had at 
home.” 

“That is because you worked for 
Diso Bedience,” said Mr. Pretence. 
“He gets everybody into trouble. But 
wait till you meet Johnnie Lie and 
Willie Steal. You’ll like them.” 

“I don’t believe I will,” said Ned. 
“Their names don’t sound exactly 
right. If you don’t mind I think I 
will go on now. I feel rested but I 
am still very hungry. Could you 
give me an apple turnover, Mr. Pre- 
tence?” 

“Well, now, let me see,” said 
Smooth Pretence. “I think there is 
just one left. It is on the top shelf 


IN WILFUL LAND 


37 

in that closet. Just open the door 
and help yourself, Ned.” 

“Thank you, Mr. Pretence. You 
are very kind,” said Ned, as he went 
toward the closet. He opened the 
door and stood on his tip toes to see 
what was on the shelf. Just then 
Mr. Smooth Pretence gave him a push 
that sent him slam, bang into the 
closet. Then he closed the door and 
locked it. 

“Why did you do that?” cried Ned. 
“Please let me out, Mr. Pretence. 
There is no apple turnover here.” 

“Isn’t there? Well, now, that’s 
too bad,” said Smooth Pretence. 
“Maybe Willie Steal took it. Just 
stay there till he comes and we’ll ask 
him. I want you to meet my friends. 


NED DAWSON 


38 

anyhow. They are such jolly good 
fellows you can’t afford to miss 
them.” 

“I don’t believe I care to meet them, 
Mr. Pretence,” said Ned. “I’d rather 
be going, if you’ll let me out. Please 
don’t keep me shut up here. It’s so 
stuffy.” 

“I’m sorry to refuse you, Ned,” 
said Smooth Pretence. “But you have 
talked very wickedly about Mr. Evil 
Genius and Mr. Diso Bedience. I 
know them very well and both are 
good friends of mine. I shall have 
to keep you locked up till Mr. Lie 
and Mr. Steal come.” 

“I’ll promise not to run away if 
you’ll let me out, Mr. Pretence,” said 
Ned. “This closet is terribly dirty. 


IN WILFUL LAND 


39 

The smell of it almost makes me sick. 
Why don’t you have it cleaned?” 

“Do you expect me to keep the 
whole house clean?” asked Smooth 
Pretence. “I keep the lawn and the 
front rooms clean for appearance sake, 
but what’s the use of keeping the 
closets and the back rooms so neat? 
Nobody ever sees them.” 

“My mother always kept all the 
rooms clean,” said Ned. 

“Some folks are fools enough to do 
it,” said Smooth Pretence. “But I’m 
not. If it looks all right from the out- 
side you get just as much credit. But, 
here come Johnnie Lie and Willie 
Steal. Come out now and we’ll ask 
them about that turnover.” 

When Ned came out, there stood 


40 


NED DAWSON 


two of the very worst boys he had 
met at Mr. Diso Bedience’s. Of 
course they knew him and at once be- 
gan telling Smooth Pretence terrible 
stories about how he had acted before 
he ran away. 

“He promised Diso Bedience that 
he would work for him forever,” said 
Johnnie Lie. 

“He stole Diso Bedience’s dinner 
right off his plate,” said Willie Steal. 

“He ought to be sent back,” said 
both together. “Shall we tell Diso 
Bedience to come and get him, Mr. 
Pretence^” 

“I’d rather keep him, if he’ll prom- 
ise not to run away,” said Smooth 
Pretence. “But, he’ll get no apple 
turnovers here, that’s certain. But 


IN WILFUL LAND 


41 


wait a moment. Johnnie, didn’t you 
tell me you saw some fine apples over 
in Mr. Luckyman’s orchard?” 

‘Tlenty of ’em, Mr. Pretence,” an- 
swered Johnnie. '‘They looked good, 
too. Wish we had some of them.” 

“Well, why cari t we have some of 
them?” asked Smooth Pretence. 
“Have you forgotten how I told you 
to get them? Here’s a good chance 
to teach Ned a lesson. Take him 
with you. If he tries to run away 
we’ll take him back to Diso Bedi- 
ence.” 

Poor Ned! He did not want to go 
but he dared not go back to Diso Be- 
dience so he trudged along behind the 
other two. 

When they got to Mr. Luckyman’s, 


42 


NED DAWSON 


Johnnie and Willie took Ned by the 
arms and led him into the orchard 
with them. Soon they were among 
the trees and gathering the apples as 
fast as they could. But Ned would 
neither touch nor taste the fruit. 
Johnnie and Willie both mocked him 
and sneered at him and called him 
“baby” and “goody boy,” but he re- 
mained firm. While they were feast- 
ing on the stolen fruit, Mr. Lucky- 
man came upon them suddenly and 
caught them before they could run 
away. As soon as they saw they were 
caught Johnnie seized Ned by one 
arm and Willie took him by the 
other. Then dragging him toward 
Mr. Luckyman, and both talking at 
once, they told how they had been go- 



. Luckyman’s Orchard 







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IN WILFUL LAND 


43 


ing past his trees and had caught Ned 
in the very act of stealing his apples. 
Mr. Luckyman was very angry and 
without waiting to learn the truth he 
seized poor Ned and beat him terri- 
bly. Then calling Johnnie and 
Willie, he gave the young rascals as 
much fruit as they could carry as a 
reward for their honesty and bade 
them all begone. 

When they got home and told 
Smooth Pretence how they had got 
the apples and how Ned had been 
punished he laughed heartily as 
though it were a very good joke. 

“How did you like your ‘apple 
turnover,’ Ned?” he asked. And 
then they all laughed again. 

“It was very wrong,” said Ned to 


NED DAWSON 


44 

Johnnie Lie. “You knew I did not 
steal his apples. He would not have 
whipped me if you had told the 
truth.” 

“Maybe not, Ned,” said Smooth 
Pretence. “But then he would have 
whipped Johnnie. In Wilful Land 
people don’t always tell the truth. If 
they did we would have no Johnnie 
Lies or Willie Steals. Better get rid 
of those funny notions, my boy. You 
will get along better here if you are 
more like other people.” 

“I wish I had never come,” said 
Ned. “I’d start back now if I knew 
the way.” 

“You couldn’t go back now, Ned,” 
said Smooth Pretence. “It’s a long, 
hard road, and up hill all the way. 
Better go on down.” 


IN WILFUL LAND 


45 


CHAPTER V 

NED FINDS A NEW FRIEND 

Bruised and sore from the whip- 
ping he had received, and ashamed 
of the company he was in, Ned almost 
repented that he had ever started for 
Wilful Land. He would have been 
a great deal happier if he had stayed 
at home. He wondered what his 
mother and Jennie were doing now. 
No doubt they were warm and com- 
fortable, while he was hungry and 
abused. But he knew it was all his 
own fault. Evil Genius had deceived 
him shamefully. People could not 
do just as they pleased in Wilful 


NED DAWSON 


46 

Land. At least if they did they had 
to suffer a great deal from people 
stronger than themselves, who wanted 
to do just as they pleased, too. “After 
all,” thought he, “one might be hap- 
pier in doing what is right than in do- 
ing what he pleases.” He felt that he 
had made a great mistake, but it could 
not be helped now. He could not go 
back. The road was terribly rough 
and all up hill. Then, too, the sun 
sprites might quit working and leave 
him in utter darkness. He would be 
afraid to try it alone. There was but 
one thing to do and that was to run 
away again. Smooth Pretence had 
gone away to attend to some work. 
Ned was so deep in thought that he 
had forgotten all about Johnnie Lie 


IN WILFUL LAND 


47 

and Willie Steal till Johnnie spoke 
to him. 

“Well, Mr. Apple Turnover,” said 
he. “What are you dreaming about 

“He’s planning another trip to Mr. 
Luckyman’s, I’ll bet,” said Willie 
Steal. 

“I hope he’ll get more’n he did the 
last time,” said Johnnie, at which 
they both laughed uproariously. 

“I’m not planning, and I’m not 
dreaming,” said Ned. “I’ve just 
come to a conclusion.” 

“Pity you didn’t come to it sooner,” 
said Willie. “It might have saved 
you the licking Mr. Luckyman gave 
you.” 

“I think it would,” said Ned 
quietly. 


NED DAWSON 


“What are you going to do with 
your conclusion?” asked Johnnie. 

“Act on it,” said Ned promptly. 
“It will save me from taking any more 
of your thrashings.” 

“That’s treachery,” said Willie 
Steal. “We’ll tell Mr. Pretence.” 

“Tell him what?” asked Ned. 

“What you just said,” said John- 
nie. “That you came here to do as 
you pleased and that nobody shall 
ever thrash you again.” 

“I didn’t say that,” said Ned. 

, “You did, too,” said Willie. “We 
both heard you say it. Didn’t we, 
Johnnie?” 

“Course we did,” said Johnnie. 
“And he said lot’s more — worse things 
than that. Mr. Pretence ought to 


IN WILFUL LAND 


49 


lock him up in the closet again. Let’s 
go and tell him about it.” 

“All right. Let’s do it,” said 
Willie. And away the two little ras- 
cals ran. 

Ned knew they would do all they 
could to get him into trouble. He 
was determined that he would not go 
back into that dirty closet again. He 
dashed out at the door and started 
to run as fast as his legs could carry 
him. But, alas, poor Ned! He went 
down the hill once more. 

He had not gone far when he 
heard Smooth Pretence and the two 
boys running after him. He was too 
weak from hunger to make a long 
race. Besides, he got two or three 
hard falls by stumbling over rough 


so 


NED DAWSON 


places in his path. At last, just as 
they were almost upon him he turned 
aside and hid himself in a little hol- 
low till they passed by. He could 
hear their terrible threats of what they 
would do to him when they caught 
him and he wished most heartily that 
he had never come to Wilful Land. 

He was so tired that he lay still to 
rest a few minutes after they had 
passed and before he knew it he fell 
asleep. How long he slept, Ned 
never knew. When he awoke from 
his nap the first thing he noticed was 
a loud snoring close at hand. Look- 
ing around he saw, lying near him 
and sleeping soundly, a boy of about 
his own size and age. The boy’s cloth- 
ing was in tatters, his face scratched 



Ned and Vaga Bond 






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IN WILFUL LAND 


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and bruised, and altogether Ned 
thought him the dirtiest person he 
had ever seen. In one hand he held 
a torn and battered hat. In the other 
he clutched a piece of stale bread from 
which he had been gnawing when he 
fell asleep. As Ned watched him he 
stirred uneasily and opened his eyes. 
After a moment he sat up and the two 
boys gazed at each other in silence. 

“Who are you^” asked the new boy 
at last. 

“Fm Ned Dawson. Who are you?” 
was Ned’s reply. 

“Fm Vaga Bond,” replied the boy. 
“Some folks call me ‘Tramp.’ What 
are you doin’ here?” 

“Hiding,” replied Ned. “What 
are you doing?” 


52 


NED DAWSON 


‘Tm hidin’, too,” said Vaga Bond. 
“Who’s tryin’ to get you?” 

“Mr. Smooth Pretence,” said Ned. 
“And Johnnie Lie and Willie Steal 
are helping him.” 

“Johnnie Lie and Willie Steal?” 
said Vaga Bond. “Reg’lar imps. 
Wish I could catch ’em one at a time. 
Bet I’d pay ’em for the trouble they’ve 
made me.” 

“How have they made you trou- 
ble?” asked Ned. 

“By gettin’ me into scrapes with 
’em and then lyin’ out of it and lettin’ 
me take the lickin’ s,” said Vaga Bond. 
“Most all my troubles come through 
Lie and Steal. But, how did you get 
here and what’s your trouble?” 

“Mr. Evil Genius persuaded me to 


IN WILFUL LAND 53 

come here so I could do as I pleased 
and never have to work,” said Ned. 
“I ran away from Mr. Diso Bedience 
and met Mr. Smooth Pretence. He 
took me home to work for him and 
then Johnnie Lie and Willie Steal 
came. They made me go with them 
to get apples out of Mr. Luckyman’s 
orchard, and when Mr. Luckyman 
came out they told him I was taking 
the apples and they had caught me. 
So I got licked and they got lots of 
apples for ‘being good.’” 

“Then you ran away, eh?” said 
Vaga Bond. 

“Not till they wanted to have Mr. 
Pretence shut me up again in that 
dirty closet,” said Ned. “That’s a 
terrible place.” 


■54 NED DAWSON 

“He’s shut me in there more’n 
once,” said Vaga Bond. 

“Maybe that’s what makes it so 
dirty,” said Ned. 

“Maybe,” said Vaga Bond. 
“What’ re you goin’ to do now*?” 

“I don’t know,” answered Ned. 
“I’ve run away. I’ll have to go on, I 
suppose.” 

“Let’s go together,” said Vaga 
Bond. “If we meet Johnnie Lie and 
Willie Steal we’ll thrash ’em.” 

“Which way shall we go"?” asked 
Ned. 

“Down hill, o’ course,” said Vaga 
Bond. “Everybody goes down hill 
here. I know a Mr. Shirk, who lives 
down the hill. Let us go there. He’s 
always glad to have somebody around 


IN WILFUL LAND 


SS 


to keep him from taking too much ex- 
ercise. He’d be glad to get you.” 

“I’d be glad to work for him if the 
work isn’t too hard,” said Ned. 

“All work is too hard for me,” said 
Vaga Bond. “I hate it.” 

“If Evil Genius had told the truth 
I wouldn’t be working either,” said 
Ned. “He said everybody here could 
do as he pleased.” 

“How could that be?” asked Vaga 
Bond. “When you do as you please 
and won’t work, Mr. Shirk will have 
to do as he doesn’t please and work 
for himself. You can’t both do as 
you please if you want anything 
done.” 

“Can’t you do as you please?” 
asked Ned? 


56 


NED DAWSON 


“Not always,” replied Vaga Bond. 
“I can do as I please about workin’, 
but not about eatin’. Most of the 
time I have to do as other people 
please about that,” he continued, 
looking at the piece of stale bread he 
was still nibbling. 

Before Ned could make any reply 
they heard a loud shouting and saw 
some people running toward them 
with angry gestures. 

“Come on,” cried Vaga Bond, as 
he started to run. “We musn’t let 
them catch us.” 

“Why not?” asked Ned. “We 
haven’t done them any harm.” 

“But they might do us some,” said 
Vaga Bond, running as fast as he 
could. So Ned ran after him. 


IN WILFUL LAND 


S7 


The road was very rough and steep 
and Ned had not gone far till he got 
a hard tumble. Before he could get 
up again he was overtaken and the 
angry crowd gathered around him. 

“That’s him. Let’s hang him,” 
shouted an angry man. 

“Thrash him good. He deserves 
it,” said another. 

“Take him to jail,” said a third. 
“Such fellows ought all to be locked 
up.” 

“What do you want to lock me up 
for'?” asked Ned. “I haven’t done 
you any harm.’” 

“You haven’t?” said the angry 
man. “You’ve broken all my win- 
dows and trampled down all my 


NED DAWSON 


S8 

plants. Where’s your ragged part- 
ner? We want him, too.” 

“I’m afraid the ragged one has es- 
caped,” said one of the men. “Good 
riddance, too, if he’ll never come 
back. He’s too dirty to touch.” 

“We’ll give this one a good trim- 
ming, anyhow,” said the angry man. 
“He can share it with his chum if he 
wants to.” 

And without waiting for any 
further argument he gave Ned a most 
terrible whipping. 

“Now, get out of this as fast as you 
can,” said the man. “If you tramps 
do any more mischief around here it’ll 
be the worse for you.” 

“How could it be any worse?” 
sobbed Ned as they went away and 


IN WILFUL LAND 


59 


left him. “Fm no tramp, and I didn’t 
break any windows. Fll bet Johnnie 
Lie did that just to get me into 
trouble. Well, that’s licking number 
two and not much time lost in be- 
tween either. I guess Fve had about 
enough of Wilful Land. Too many 
people here do just as they please.” 


6o 


NED DAWSON 


CHAPTER VI 

NED AND MR. SHIRK 

For a long time Ned sat rubbing 
his hurts and thinking about the flog- 
ging he had received. He was sure 
now that it was a dreadful mistake to 
come to Wilful Land. He wanted to 
go back but the hill was so steep and 
the way so rough he was afraid to try. 
He had seen nothing of Vaga Bond 
since he ran away and did not know 
what had become of him. He was 
tired, lonely and discouraged, but he 
must go somewhere. The men had 
told him to get out and he was afraid 
to stay there any longer. There 


IN WILFUL LAND 


6i 


seemed but one thing for him to do, 
and that was to go on down. But, 
down where? He did not know. 
Would he find it any better down 
there than here? If he had to be 
beaten and starved he might as well 
go back no matter how rough the road 
or steep the hill. 

While he was debating with him- 
self he saw a man coming toward him 
with a big bundle on his back. The 
man limped painfully as he walked 
and stooped under his burden as if 
it were heavy. He looked keenly at 
Ned as he came nearer and at last 
spoke pleasantly. 

“Good morning, my little man,” 
said he. “Will you be kind enough to 
help me shift my pack?” 


62 


NED DAWSON 


“Certainly,” said Ned. “What 
shall I do?” 

“Just hold it a moment till I can 
rest my shoulders,” said the man. 

Ned took hold of the bundle and, 
with the man’s help, lifted it to his 
own shoulders. It was quite heavy 
and it took some time to adjust it so 
he could hold it easily. 

“There,” said the stranger. “That’s 
better. Now as you are traveling my 
way we’ll just walk on and as we go 
you can tell me who you are and 
where you are going.” 

“I’m Ned Dawson,” replied Ned. 
“I came to Wilful Land with Evil 
Genius to do as I pleased, but I don’t 
like it as well as I thought I would.” 



. Shirk and His Pack 




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IN WILFUL LAND 63 

“Why not?” asked the stranger. 
“Can’t you do as you please?” 

“Oh, yes,” said Ned. “I suppose I 
can. But everybody else can do the 
same and sometimes they are stronger 
than I am and please to beat me.” 

“That’s bad,” replied the stranger. 
“In that case you had better go home 
with me. I have been wanting a boy 
like you for some time.” 

“Won’t you tell me who you are 
and where you live?” asked Ned. 

“Certainly,” replied the stranger. 
“I am Mr. Shirk that lives down the 
hill.” 

“Then you are the man Vaga Bond 
told me about,” said Ned. 

“You know Vaga Bond, do you?” 
asked Mr. Shirk. 


NED DAWSON 


64 

“Yes,” said Ned. “I met him this 
morning, but we didn’t stay together 
long.” 

“A graceless scamp,” said Mr. 
Shirk. “Too lazy to work and too 
dirty to be seen. He is always up to 
some mischief. Only yesterday he 
broke the windows and trampled 
down all the flowers in my friend Mr. 
Greed’s greenhouse.” 

“And he let me take the whipping 
he should have had for it, too,” said 
Ned. “We were walking together 
when Mr. Greed and his friends came 
after us. Vaga Bond ran away but 
they caught me and gave me a dread- 
ful whipping. It was all wrong, too, 
for I had never seen his flowers.” 

“That’s altogether too bad,” said 


IN WILFUL LAND 65 

Mr. Shirk. “But it is just like one of 
Vaga Bond’s tricks. I never could 
bear him. He would never carry my 
pack or do anything else for me.” 

“Won’t you please take your pack 
now, Mr. Shirk?” asked Ned. “It is 
getting so heavy I can hardly carry 
it.” 

“I’m sorry, Ned, but I don’t believe 
I can just yet,” replied Mr. Shirk. 
“My health is rather delicate and my 
doctor has advised me to avoid work 
as much as possible.” 

“If we have much further to go I 
shall have to drop it, Mr. Shirk,” said 
Ned. “It is really too heavy for me.” 

“Nonsense, Ned. Don’t mention 
anything so dreadful,” said Mr. Shirk. 


66 


NED DAWSON 


“It would be ruinous to drop it. It is 
full of promises — bright golden prom- 
ises. If you drop it they will all be 
broken.” 

“But I can’t hold it any longer, Mr. 
Shirk,” said Ned, staggering from 
side to side. “It will kill me if I do.” 

“And I’ll kill you if you don’t,” 
said Mr. Shirk, angrily. “Do you 
think I will take that heavy bundle 
again just to relieve you*? Well, I 
won’t. So carry it along and no more 
of your grumbling.” 

Poor Ned was almost ready to drop. 
He felt that he could not carry the 
pack another moment, but he was 
afraid of Mr. Shirk and dared not 
drop it. 

“This is terrible,” thought he. “Evil 


IN JVILFUL LAND 67 

Genius told me I wouldn’t have to 
work here. This is harder work than 
I ever had to do at home. Oh! it’s 
slipping away. What shall I do? 
There it goes.” 

“Now see what you have done,” 
shrieked Mr. Shirk. “You have 
broken all my precious promises and 
I shall never be able to get anybody 
to carry my pack again. I’ll kill you.” 

He sprang toward Ned and tried 
to clutch him by the throat. Freed 
from his burden and almost wild with 
fear, Ned darted away. He knew he 
would fall if he tried to run down the 
hill, so he turned aside and plunged 
into a thicket of thorns and brambles 
that grew beside the way. Mr. Shirk 
tried to follow him, but the sharp 


68 


NED DAWSON 


thorns tore his hands and face till he 
had to stop. Muttering all kinds of 
threats against poor Ned, he went 
back to gather up his pack and grieve 
over his broken promises. Ned rushed 
through the thicket so frightened that 
he hardly felt the pain of the thorns 
till he was sure Mr. Shirk had given 
up the chase. Then going more care- 
fully, he worked his way through till 
he came out on the other side. There 
he sat down to rest. Poor Ned. If he 
could only have known how his 
mother at home was longing for him 
and how she watched and waited for 
him day by day, ready to forgive him 
and love him just as she had always 
done, he would have turned back up 
that hill at any cost. He was still 


IN WILFUL LAND 69 

sitting there thinking of his desperate 
struggle to carry Mr. Shirk’s pack 
when he was suddenly seized from 
behind and held tightly by a pair of 
strong hands. 

“Oh, Mr. Shirk, please don’t,” cried 
he. “I couldn’t help it, indeed I 
couldn’t. It slipped out of my hands. 
I didn’t mean to drop it. Please don’t 
kill me.” 

“Ho, ho, ho,” said a strange voice. 
“So I am Mr. Shirk, am U Well, 
that’s the first time I ever knew that. 
And what has Mr. Shirk been doing 
to you ? You look rather used up.” 

“I ran through the bushes to get 
away from him,” said Ned. “He was 
angry because I dropped his pack, but 
indeed I couldn’t hold it any longer. 


70 NED DAWSON 

It was very heavy. I didn’t mean to 
do it.” 

“All the better that you couldn’t 
hold it,” said the man pleasantly. 
“His golden promises are worthless 
trash. Neither he nor anybody else 
ever keeps them. But why were you 
carrying his pack? Who are you?” 

“He asked me to hold it a moment 
till he rested and then he wouldn’t 
take it again. My name is Ned Daw- 
son. I came to Wilful Land with 
Evil Genius. But I have had so much 
trouble since I came that I wish I had 
never started. I am almost starved, 
too. Please, sir, could you give me an 
apple turnover?” 

“No, Ned, I don’t believe I can,” 
said the man. “Apple turnovers are 


IN WILFUL LAND 71 

rather scarce here because most of the 
fruit in Wilful Land is forbidden 
fruit and doesn’t make good pies. But 
if you come with me I’ll give you a 
good dinner. Maybe after that you 
will be willing to stay. You can help 
me in my work if you will.” 

“I shall be very glad to get the good 
dinner, sir,” replied Ned. “And I am 
willing to work, too, if the work is not 
too hard. Will you please tell me 
who you are and what kind of work 
you do?” “Certainly! My name is 
Pastime — Mr. Vicious Pastime if you 
choose,” said the man. “It is my busi- 
ness to furnish amusements for people 
who have a great deal of idle time on 
their hands. The work is very pleas- 
ant and not hard. I have only to 


72 


NED DAWSON 


point out to such people the things 
that I think will give them the most 
pleasure. They do all the work and 
take all the risk.” 

“That must be very pleasant work, 
Mr. Pastime,” said Ned. “I will be 
glad to help you if you will not let 
Mr. Shirk get me again.” 

“No fear of that, Ned,” said Mr. 
Pastime. “I need bright and ready 
boys like you too badly to give them 
up when I find them. But come, now, 
let’s go home and get that dinner. 
After that we’ll talk things over. If 
you are willing to help me I’ll keep 
you. Really I think it was a very 
lucky thing that I met you.” 


IN WILFUL LAND 


73 


CHAPTER VII 

WHAT MR. PASTIME DID 

The first thing Mr. Pastime did 
when he got Ned home was to give 
him a good, big dinner. It was high 
time, too, for the poor fellow was al- 
most starved. There were no apple 
turnovers, but there were plenty of 
other things that tasted good to a 
hungry boy and Ned ate heartily. 
After dinner they took a long walk 
together and Mr. Pastime showed 
Ned some of the places and amuse- 
ments he provided for people who 
have too much idle time. 

The first place they came to was a 


74 


NED DAWSON 


building brightly lighted and crowded 
with people of all sorts, young and 
old. There was an orchestra that 
played and some of the people were 
dancing and there was a great deal of 
loud laughter and coarse talk. At one 
end of the room was a long counter 
covered with glasses and a man be- 
hind the counter kept filling the 
glasses with something from a long- 
necked bottle and giving it to the 
people to drink. After they drank it 
they laughed and talked louder than 
before and some of them staggered 
about when they tried to dance till 
they tumbled down on the floor. Then 
some men carried them away to make 
room for others. 

“This,” said Mr. Pastime, “is one 


IN WILFUL LAND 


7S 


of my dance halls. It is a very nice 
place and lots of people come here. 
They love to listen to the music and 
dance. When they dance they get 
thirsty. Then they go over to the 
counter yonder and Mr. Tipsyman, 
who is one of my helpers, gives them a 
drink. This place is managed by one 
of the Ims. There are three of that 
family working for me. The one who 
manages here is a lady, Mrs. Im 
Modest. She is a hard worker and 
keeps a very busy place. You can see 
that lots of people come here.” 

“I see they do,” said Ned. “But I 
don’t like to see them stagger and fall, 
Mr. Pastime. Don’t you think it 
would be better if Mr. Tipsyman did 
not give them so much to drink?” 


76 


NED DAWSON 


“Why, my dear fellow,” said Mr. 
Pastime. “How could they dance if 
they didn’t have something to drink 
when they got thirsty? Besides, 
everybody claims the right to do as 
he pleases here, you know. It doesn’t 
hurt them to fall now and then, and 
they soon get used to the staggering 
and don’t mind it. Of course if any- 
one does fall and get hurt it isn’t my 
fault. I only furnish the amusement. 
They take all the risk. 

“That,” said Mr. Pastime, point- 
ing to another building, “is one of my 
picture shows. It is kept by another 
of the Ims, Mr. Im Moral. He shows 
some very interesting pictures there. 
There are some old fogies who talk 
against it and preach about the bad 


IN WILFUL LAND 


77 


influence of the pictures, but that is 
none of my business. I simply show 
the pictures. If people don’t want to 
see them they needn’t come. It is all 
at their own risk, you know. People 
must be amused.” 

“What is in that other building 
over there*?” asked Ned. 

“That is our Vaudeville,” said Mr. 
Pastime. “It is managed by Mr. Im 
Proper. It is a very popular and at- 
tractive place. Some of the plays are 
rather spicy, but they are all true to 
life and people seem to enjoy them. 
Would you like to go in*?” 

“No, thank you,” said Ned. “I 
think I’d rather see something else, if 
you please. Do they have no ball 
games here*?” 


78 


NED DAWSON 


“Not that I know of,” said Mr. 
Pastime. “Such games are too 
boisterous for Wilful Land. But I 
can show you some other games that 
are more quiet and just as good. 
Come with me.” 

He led Ned into another building 
where there were many tables and 
men seated at every table were play- 
ing games in which they used cards or 
little blocks of ivory with black dots 
on them. 

“This is our Game Room,” said 
Pastime. “It is kept by Mr. Will 
Gamble, a fine fellow to know. You 
will like him. I’m sure. Some of the 
wealthiest and best people come here. 
It is a very refined place. That man 
over there at the counter is a brother 


IN WILFUL LAND 


79 


of the other Mr. Tipsyman. When 
people play games they get thirsty 
and excited and must have something 
to drink. We think it is better to 
have it handy than to let them go out 
after it. If they once got out they 
might not come back, you know.” 

“Are there any people here that do 
not dance and play games, Mr. Pas-* 
time?” asked Ned. 

“Oh, yes, indeed,” said Pastime. 
“Do you see that building over there? 
That is all given up to other amuse- 
ments. The man in charge of it is 
Mr. B. Brutal. There they have prize 
fights, cock fights, dog fights and 
even bull fights. Oh, it is very excit- 
ing. Sometimes they even kill each 
other.” 


8o 


NED DAWSON 


“And what do you do then, Mr. 
Pastime^” asked Ned. 

“Nothing,” said Pastime. “They 
take their own risk. We are not to 
blame. We simply furnish the amuse- 
ments. Would you like to go in and 
see them?” 

“No, indeed,” said Ned; “I don’t 
believe I will. Are there no schools 
or Sunday schools here, Mr. Pas- 
time?” 

“Ha, ha, ha, ha ! Sunday schools in 
Wilful Land? What a ridiculous 
question!” said Pastime. “No in- 
deed, Ned. There are no Sunday 
schools here. We are not such old 
fogies as that. Do you think there 
would be an amusement in a Sunday 
school?” 


IN WILFUL LAND 8i 

“Maybe not, if you mean fighting 
and killing,” said Ned. “But it 
would be lots better to go to one and 
nobody would have to take any risk, 
either. I used to go to Sunday school 
before I came to Wilful Land. I had 
better times there than I have had 
here, too.” 

“How could you have, Ned, when 
there was no dancing, or drinking, or 
gambling, or fighting there?” asked 
Pastime. “Nobody in Wilful Land 
would call that a good time.” 

“Perhaps they wouldn’t,” said 
Ned. “But you haven’t told me yet 
what you want me to do, Mr. Pas- 
time.” 

“I’m coming to that now,” said Mr. 
Pastime. “Do you see that handsome 


82 


NED DAWSON 


new building over there with the let- 
ters above the door? That is our new 
‘Pastime School.’ Some of the old 
fogies call it the School of Crime, but 
that is all due to jealousy. No mat- 
ter about the name, anyway. It’s the 
results we want. You see, there must 
be some place where boys and girls 
take their first lessons in amusements. 
To dance or drink or fight gracefully 
and well requires teaching and ex- 
perience. Boys and girls will get that 
experience in our new school. Now, 
what we need is somebody to help get 
the boys and girls into the school. 
That is where we need you, Ned, and 
a whole lot of boys like you. If we 
can get boys to help us our new school 
will soon be filled. And just think 


IN WILFUL LAND 83 

how many friends you will have 
among us. It’s a great opportunity, 
Ned. Will you take it?” 

“No, Mr. Pastime,” said Ned. “I 
don’t think I can. I have changed my 
mind since coming here. I don’t be- 
lieve boys and girls are as happy in 
Wilful Land as they are at home. I 
think I shall try to go back again.” 

“Don’t be foolish, Ned,” said Pas- 
time. “You could never go back up 
that hill. You have gone too far to 
turn back now. It will be much easier 
to go on down.” 

“But where does this road lead to, 
Mr. Pastime,” asked Ned. 

“Nobody knows exactly,” said Pas- 
time. “Nobody who has gone far 


NED DAWSON 


84 

enough to see the end has ever come 
back to tell us. Mr. Don’t Care has 
gone farther down than any other one 
I know of. He tells us of some 
very interesting things farther down. 
There is a great level plain down 
there all dotted over with little 
mounds, and beyond that he heard 
strange sounds as of people moaning 
and crying, but it was too dark to see 
what caused them. All those that go 
there must be well pleased, for no one 
has ever yet come back.” 

“Maybe they can’t come back,” 
said Ned. 

“Oh, that is not likely,” said Mr. 
Pastime. “In Wilful Land, you 
know, most people do just as they 
please. I think I should like to go 


IN WILFUL LAND 85 

down some time and see for myself 
what is there.” 

“Why don’t you do it?” asked Ned. 

“I might not be able to come back,” 
said Mr. Pastime. 

“Not even if you wanted to?” 
asked Ned. “I thought you said 
everybody in Wilful Land could do 
just as he pleased.” 

“So I’ve always been told,” said 
Mr. Pastime. “But there might be 
some mistake about that, and then I’d 
be in a terrible fix. The risk is rather 
too great. Don’t you think so, Ned?” 

“Indeed I do,” said Ned. “It’s too 
great either to go further or to stay 
here any longer, and I’m going back.” 

“Oh, Ned,” said Mr. Pastime 
anxiously. “You surely wouldn’t try 


86 


NED DAWSON 


to do anything so foolish as that. Just 
think of the terrible climb you would 
have up that long, steep hill. You’ve 
come a long ways since you first 
started out with Evil Genius, Ned.” 

“Yes,” said Ned. “And I’ve paid 
dearly for it, too. I’ve been kicked, 
cuffed and starved till I’m as thin as a 
scarecrow, and I’m so ragged that 
Mother and Jennie wouldn’t know 
me. It has been a long, hard journey, 
and down, down, down all the way. 
Going back may be rough, uphill 
work, but it can’t be any worse. Any- 
how, I’m going. No matter how high 
the hill or how rough the way, I’m 
going. Goodby, Mr. Pastime.” 

“Oh, well, if you won’t listen I sup- 
pose you’ll have to go, Ned. Goodby. 


IN WILFUL LAND 87 

I’m afraid you’ll have a hard time 
getting past Mr. Smooth Pretence and 
Mr. Diso Bedience. They never like 
to see anyone go back and they’ll 
hinder you all they can.” 

“Let them hinder,” said Ned. “It 
will do no good. I’ve made up my 
mind— I’M GOING BACK.” 


88 


NED DAWSON 


CHAPTER VIII 
i’m going back 

No sooner had Ned declared that 
he was “going back” than he began 
to feel better and stronger. He knew 
the hill was steep and the way rough, 
but he did not fear to try it. 

“After all,” thought he, “it makes 
a difference what a fellow really 
wants to do. I want to get out of Wil- 
ful Land and Vm going up that hill. 
Let’s see,” he mused. “Coming here. 
Evil Genius told me to always turn 
to the left and to keep on going down. 
It is plain, then, that going back I 
must always turn to the right and 
keep on going up. Well, I’m ready. 


IN WILFUL LAND 89 

so here goes. Rightabout! March!” 
And obeying his own command, like 
the good soldier he meant to be, Ned, 
for the first time, started upward. 

At first he had nothing to overcome 
but the steep grade of the hill. It was 
not quite as easy as going down, but 
he didn’t mind that so long as he 
could see that he was gaining ground. 

When he came to the place where 
he had run away from Mr. Shirk he 
kept a sharp lookout for fear he might 
meet that old rascal once more. He 
was determined never again to carry 
that load of worthless promises. He 
saw the thicket of brambles through 
which he had plunged to get away, 
and the very sight of it made him 
shudder. 


90 


NED DAWSON 


“I wonder if any other poor fellow 
ever had to go through that,” said 
Ned. “If he did I should think he’d 
want to get out of this country as bad- 
ly as I do.” 

Just after passing the thicket his 
eye caught something that made him 
stop and look. There stretched out on 
the hard ground beside the road and 
sleeping peacefully in the warm sun 
lay Vaga Bond. 

“Ha,” said Ned quietly; “that’s the 
fellow that got me into trouble and 
let me get whipped. If he were not 
almost too dirty to touch I’d like to 
give that drubbing back to him be- 
fore I go. Guess I’ll do it anyhow — 
he deserves it.” 

Going up to the young scamp, Ned 



What Vaga Bond Got 




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IN WILFUL LAND 


91 

gave him a lusty kick that woke him 
up in a hurry. 

“What do you mean thumpin’ me 
like that?” said Vaga Bond. “Can’t 
a feller sleep if he wants to?” 

“No, not now,” said Ned. “Get 
up. You’re the fellow that broke 
down Mr. Greed’s flowers and left me 
to take the blame. I’m going back 
out of Wilful Land, but before I go 
I’m going to give you a royal thrash- 
ing to pay for the one I got.” 

“Oh, please don’t, Ned,” said Vaga 
Bond. But before he could say an- 
other word Ned seized him by the col- 
lar and gave him a hearty cuffing, and 
finally with a thumping whack sent 
him rolling down the hill bellowing 
for mercy. His dirty hat lay where 


92 


NED DAWSON 


he had been sleeping and Ned picked 
it up to throw after him. As he did so 
he noticed some letters stamped in- 
side and read the name written there. 

“Huh,” said he; “just common 
‘Laziness,’ after all. I suppose Vaga 
Bond is his company name. Well, it’s 
as good as any for him. I don’t be- 
lieve Vaga Bond or Laziness either 
one will bother me much hereafter.” 

“Ha, ha, ha, ha!” laughed a fa- 
miliar voice. “Served him right. 
That’s just what he has needed this 
long while. See him run. I’d like to 
sit here and watch him all day. Guess 
he’ll not bother you again.” 

“I hope not, Mr. Shirk,” said Ned, 
for it was no other than Mr. Shirk 
himself. “And I don’t care to see very 


IN WILFUL LAND 


93 


much of you, either. I’m going back 
out of Wilful Land now and I’m car- 
rying none of your promises.” 

“They’re all broken now since you 
dropped my pack,” said Mr. Shirk 
sadly. “But you can’t go back, Ned. 
See how steep the hill is. It will be 
terribly hard to climb.” 

“No matter,” said Ned; “I’m going 
back.” 

“And then there’s Mr. Smooth Pre- 
tence and Mr. Diso Bedience,” said 
Mr. Shirk. “They’ll be sure to stop 
you.” 

“Do you think so?” asked Ned. 
“Well, I’M GOING BACK.” 

“Oh, well,” said Mr. Shirk. “If 
you are so determined I suppose we’ll 


94 


NED DAWSON 


have to let you go. Fm sorry to lose 
you, though, Ned.” 

“And Fm very glad to get rid of 
you,” said Ned. “Where’s your 
pack?” 

“I have it here by me, Ned,” said 
Mr. Shirk. “Will you carry it for me 
a little while?” 

“Certainly, with pleasure,” said 
Ned. “Just bring it here.” 

“Fd rather you’d come and get it, 
Ned,” said Mr. Shirk. “My doctor’s 
orders are very strict. I must avoid 
effort of any kind.” 

“Oh, excuse me, Mr. Shirk,” said 
Ned. “I forgot about your delicate 
health. Fll come and get it at once.” 

He went to where Mr. Shirk sat 
and picked up the bulky bundle. It 


IN WILFUL LAND 


95 


did not seem so heavy as it did the 
first time. Ned tossed it lightly to 
his shoulder and then, with a swing 
and a fling, sent it bounding and jing- 
ling down the steep hillside. 

“Now go,” said he to Mr. Shirk. “I 
think your health will be better if you 
get more exercise. Travel without 
effort and travel fast. Overtake that 
pack if you can.” 

Mr. Shirk waited for no second bid- 
ding. With a howl of terror he 
dashed down the hill and was soon 
out of sight. 

“Good riddance to bad rubbish,” 
said Ned. “Fve settled with two of 
them, anyhow. Now if I could get 
rid of the others the same way I think 
I would enjoy my journey up hill bet- 
ter than down.” 


96 


NED DAWSON 


CHAPTER IX 

A RACE WITH FOLLY AND FEAR 

After Ned had routed Vaga Bond 
and Mr. Shirk he had no further 
trouble for a long time. He marched 
steadily up the hill, turning to the 
right at every corner and growing 
stronger and more self-reliant every 
day. The upward climb was really 
not as hard as he had expected to find 
it. As long as he went straight for- 
ward and turned only to the right he 
met with nothing to hinder or delay 
him. Once or twice he attempted to 
turn aside from the path to pluck some 
tempting fruit that hung just beyond 
his reach, but the sharp rocks hurt his 


IN WILFUL LAND 


97 


feet, the brambles stung him, and the 
fruit when he reached it was bitter 
and unfit to eat. 

‘‘There seems to be only one right 
way,’’ said Ned, “and that is to go 
straight ahead and keep going y 

He kept a sharp watch all the time 
for Mr. Smooth Pretence. He was 
determined he would never again be 
shut up in that dirty closet. One day 
he had to pass over a part of the road 
that was particularly rough and steep. 
At one point it ran quite close to the 
edge of a high bluff. At the bottom 
of the bluff was a stream of murky 
water that dashed and foamed over 
hidden rocks. On the banks of the 
stream were thickets of thorn and 
bramble. By this time Ned had grown 


NED DAWSON 


98 

so confident that he walked along 
quite carelessly and did not seem to 
mind the dangerous place a bit. He 
had almost passed it when he heard 
some one calling. 

“I wonder who that can be,” said 
he as he stopped to listen. “There 
must be some one down there. I won- 
der if he has fallen.” 

He listened again and once more he 
heard the call. 

“Who are you and what do you 
want?” asked Ned. 

“Here I am on the bank of the 
stream below you,” replied the voice. 
“I have found something wonderful. 
There is gold in the stream — bright, 
shining gold. I have found a for- 
tune.” 


IN WILFUL LAND 


99 

“But where are you?” asked Ned. 
“I can see no one.” 

“I am under the bluff,” said the 
voice. “You can’t see me from there. 
Come down and I will fill your pock- 
ets with gold.” 

Ned was greatly excited. He for- 
got the danger of getting out of the 
direct path. If he could fill his pock- 
ets with gold it would repay him for 
all his trouble in Wilful Land. He 
could go home to his mother and Jen- 
nie rich and a hero. 

“Hurry down,” called the voice 
again. “It is all here and free for the 
gathering. You will never have an- 
other such a chance.” 

“How did you get down?” asked 
Ned. “I see no path.” 


lOO 


NED DAWSON 


‘1 lost my way and stumbled over 
the bluff,” said the voice. ‘1 fell into 
the water and was not hurt a bit. 
You can jump from the bluff into the 
stream just below the bend. The 
water is not deep.” 

‘‘But how can we get back?” asked 
Ned. 

“Don’t worry about that,” said the 
voice. “With plenty of gold we shall 
be able to find a way. We can go 
back down the hill if need be and 
start over.” 

“True enough,” replied Ned. “I . 
didn’t think of that. If I can go home 
rich,” thought he, “it will repay me 
for being late. It is worth the risk 
and I’ll try it.” 

He crept as close to the edge as he 



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IN WILFUL LAND loi 

could and selecting a place where the 
water seemed free from rocks, he 
plunged over. Poor Ned! He had 
made another mistake. The water at 
the place he had selected was free 
from rocks, but it was so shallow that 
it did not break his fall and he struck 
the ground with a frightful thump 
that knocked the breath quite out of 
him. 

‘'Ha, ha, ha — ho, ho, ho!” laughed 
a voice that made Ned shiver. “So 
here you are once more, my fine fel- 
low. This time you will not get away 
so easily.” 

There on the bank looking at him 
with a cunning leer was Mr. Smooth 
Pretence. 

“You didn’t expect to see me again. 


102 NED DAWSON 

did you, Ned?” asked Pretence. 
“Well, I think so highly of you that 
I am not willing to let you go, so I 
am going to take you back home with 
me. If you’ll be good, though. I’ll 
promise not to shut you in the closet 
again.” 

“Would you expect me to believe 
any promise you made, Mr. Pre- 
tence?” asked Ned as soon as he could 
get his breath. “Where is the gold 
you promised me for jumping down 
from the bluff?” 

“Here it is, Ned, and plenty of it,” 
said Smooth Pretence. “Fill your 
pockets, my boy. Take all you want. 
Here are all Mr. Shirk’s bright golden 
promises. I found them down the hill 
where you threw them when you 


IN WILFUL LAND 


103 


drove him away, and I brought them 
along to repay you for leaving the 
upward path.” As he spoke Mr. 
Smooth Pretence emptied Mr. Shirk’s 
pack into the murky waters of the 
stream and told Ned once more to fill 
his pockets. 

“Come, Ned,” said Smooth Pre- 
tence. “It is time we should be going. 
I’ll give you a big apple turnover as 
soon as we get home.” 

“I’m not going home with you, Mr. 
Pretence,” said Ned, “so you need 
make me no more promises. I shall 
find my way back into the upward 
path and go on once more.” 

“Not so fast, my dear boy,” said 
Smooth Pretence as Ned started away. 
“You go home with me. I haven’t 


104 


NED DAWSON 


waited and watched for you here for 
nothing. You can’t get away now.” 

'Then I’ll fight you,” said Ned. 
"You shall never take me back.” 

He dashed into the thicket of bram- 
bles and ran with all his might. The 
sharp thorns tore his clothing and 
stung his hands and face, but he did 
not stop. 

"Better to be caught by the thorns 
than by Smooth Pretence,” said Ned 
as he sped along. 

"Here, stop him,” cried Smooth 
Pretence. "After him, Johnnie Lie; 
catch him, Willie Steal. Out of your 
hiding and run. Turn loose the dogs. 
He must not get away from me again. 
Here, Folly; here. Fear — good dogs — 
seize him. Tear him to pieces.” 


IN WILFUL LAND 105 

Ned took one glance over his 
shoulder as he ran. He saw the great 
dogs running with wide-open mouths 
as if ready to tear him to bits, and it 
only made him run the faster. 
Through the brush he went till he was 
ready to drop, but luckily for him he 
was running up hill^ and while he 
almost fainted from weariness, he 
noticed that the dogs could make no 
gain on him while running upward. 

'1 guess Folly and Fear must be 
down-hill dogs,’’ panted Ned. ‘1 
should not like to run downward and 
be driven by them.” 

At last he broke through the bushes 
and found himself scratched, torn and 
bleeding on the upward path once 


more. 


io6 NED DAWSON 

“That was a terrible trip,” said 
Ned. “If I have to make another like 
it I’m afraid I shall never taste any 
more of mother’s apple turnovers. But 
I’ll not make another. It has cured 
me of my fancy for gold. Gold, in- 
deed, in that muddy, murky stream. 
What could I have been thinking 
about? I might have known it was a 
falsehood. And he had Johnnie Lie 
and Willie Steal waiting to help him 
take me home. And then to be chased 
by two such hideous dogs as Folly and 
Fear. It was frightful. But I’m back 
once more on the upward path and I’ll 
stay there, too, till I get out of Wilful 
Land.” 


IN WILFUL LAND 


107 


CHAPTER X 

A GREAT BATTLE AND A GREAT VICTORY 

After Ned had bathed his wounded 
hands and face and rested awhile he 
began to feel better. Thinking about 
his terrible experience, he went on up 
the hill, taking care not to step aside 
from the path for a moment. He felt 
sure he would see no more of Smooth 
Pretence, for he was now far past the 
place where he had first met him. The 
two great dogs. Folly and Fear, were 
also far behind him, and as they could 
not run fast up hill, he had little to 
fear from them. But he still had to 
pass through the province of Mr. Diso 


io8 NED DAWSON 

Bedience and he had seen Johnnie Lie 
and Willie Steal there on his way 
down and knew he was likely to meet 
them there again. 

‘Well, if I do ni fight them. I’ll 
never yield,” said he aloud. 

“And what if they win?” asked a 
hearty voice at his side. 

Ned turned quickly and there walk- 
ing beside him was a sturdy looking 
boy of about his own age with the 
brightest and most manly smile he 
had seen in Wilful Land. 

“They’ll not win,” said Ned. “And 
if they do I’ll fight them again. It 
couldn’t be any worse than I’ve al- 
ready gone through. I’ve started to 
go back out of Wilful Land and, come 
what may, Tm going back.” 


IN WILFUL LAND 


109 


“Good,” said the boy. “I’m glad to 
hear that kind of talk. It will make 
it easier for me if you keep up that 
spirit.” 

“And who are you, please?” asked 
Ned. “Why will it make it easier for 
you?” 

“Because I am Percy Vere,” replied 
the boy. “I am sent by the Prince of 
Good Purpose to cheer you in your 
last stand against the powers of Wil- 
ful Land. We shall have to fight 
them again before we get out, but if 
we win this battle it will be the last.” 

“Who will fight us?” asked Ned. 
“Will it be Diso Bedience?” 

“Yes,” replied Percy Vere. “Diso 
Bedience will be the leader, for we 
are in his country. But all the others 


no 


NED DAWSON 


will be ready to help him. They all 
work together, and a fight with one is 
a fight with all.” 

“Have you ever seen Mr. Smooth 
Pretence and Mr. Shirk?” asked Ned. 

“Oh, yes,” replied Percy Vere. 
“They are brothers of Mr. Disc 
Bedience. Together they control the 
forces for evil in Wilful Land. They 
always try to keep every boy who 
comes here.” 

“And who are Vaga Bond and 
Johnnie Lie and Willie Steal?” asked 
Ned. 

“Vaga Bond is the son of Mr. 
Shirk,” replied Percy. “Johnnie Lie 
is the son of Mr. Diso Bedience, and 
Willie Steal the son of Smooth Pre- 
tence. They are always on hand and 


IN WILFUL LAND in 

ready to help. Folly and Fear are 
their trained watch dogs to catch and 
hold or tear to pieces the unfortunate 
one that tries to escape.” 

“They are fierce looking brutes,” 
said Ned. “I’m mighty glad they 
didn’t catch me.” 

“You could not have escaped them 
if you had run down hill,” said Percy 
Vere. “The upward path is the only 
safe one through Wilful Land.” 

“And will we have to stand alone 
against all these?” asked Ned. 

“Yes,” said Percy Vere. “But we 
shall probably see no one but Diso 
Bedience at first. The others will lie 
concealed and wait for him to con- 
quer. If he succeeds they will all rush 


II2 


NED DAWSON 


out and help him to destroy us. If he 
fails they will lie still and tremble.” 

“I hope Johnnie Lie and Willie 
Steal will be with him,” said Ned. “I 
want to return something I got from 
them on the way down.” 

“They probably will be,” said 
Percy Vere. “They are generally 
mixed up in all the meanness that 
goes on. But we shall soon know, for 
we are in their province now and not 
far from the end of our journey.” 

He had scarcely finished speaking 
when they saw Mr. Disc Bedience 
coming toward them. 

“Ha! so you’re here again, are 
you?” said he to Ned as pleasantly as 
it was possible for him to speak. “I’m 
glad to see you coming back. I hope 


IN WILFUL LAND 


”3 


you are ready and willing to stay with 
me now.” 

“No, Mr. Diso Bedience, I am not,” 
replied Ned. “I am going back out of 
Wilful Land and this is my only way 
home.” 

“Well, you can’t pass here with my 
consent,” said Diso Bedience. “This 
part of Wilful Land belongs to me, 
and boys who come here of their own 
will owe me a service which they’ve 
got to pay.” 

“I suppose Mr. Evil Genius, who 
persuaded me to come, is your friend, 
too, is he not, Mr. Diso Bedience?” 
said Ned. 

“He is,” replied Diso Bedience. 
“But he did not compel you to come. 


NED DAWSON 


1 14 

Everybody does as he pleases about 
coming here.” 

“Everybody does as he pleases after 
he gets here, too, if he is able,” said 
Ned. “And most of them have 
pleased to make it very hard for me. 
But it is ended now, Mr. Diso 
Bedience. Stand aside, please, and 
let me pass.” 

“You’ll never pass here, Ned,” re- 
plied Diso Bedience. “Either come 
with me or give me your promise not . 
to run away.” 

“I’ll do neither,” said Ned. ‘Tm 
going back” 

He attempted to pass, but Diso 
Bedience seized him and a terrific 
struggle followed. Diso Bedience 
was older and stronger, but Ned was 


IN WILFUL LAND 115 

young and active, and what he lacked 
in strength he more than made up in 
quickness. Heavy blows and stiff 
punches were given and received by 
both fighters. Diso Bedience tried 
hard to get Ned by the throat to choke 
him into submission, but as often as 
he did so Ned tripped him up, and 
after several hard falls he grew more 
wary. As often as Ned faltered or 
seemed to hesitate Percy Vere cheered 
him on to greater effort. At last, after 
a particularly hard bump, Diso 
Bedience drew back and shouted for 
help. 

“Now we’ll have Johnnie Lie com- 
ing,” said Percy Vere. “Will you be 
able to fight them both, Ned?” 

“Will I?” said Ned. “Only give 


ii6 NED DAWSON 

me the chance. I’m not half whipped 
yet. Besides, I owe Johnnie one any- 
how.” 

In a moment Johnnie came running 
up and, without waiting a moment to 
parley or rest, Ned seized him, and a 
fiercer struggle than ever began. Up 
and down and round and round they 
went. Diso Bedience was so badly 
winded that he could do little more 
than bluster and threaten. The great 
fight was between Ned and Johnnie. 
They were of about the same size and 
pretty evenly matched, and for a 
while it was doubtful which would 
conquer. But if “might” sometimes 
“makes right,” it is equally true that 
right creates might, and as the strug- 
gle waged Ned’s strength seemed 



The Last Great Battle 





IN WILFUL LAND 


1 17 

rather to increase than fail. Gradu- 
ally he forced himself forward till 
Johnny, beaten and discouraged, 
turned to flee. 

“No, no,” said Ned. “That won’t 
do. This is not merely a fight. It is a 
fight with a drubbing thrown in. I 
must give you the whipping that Mr. 
Luckyman gave me for you.” 

Seizing the cringing rascal with one 
hand, he caught up a stick with the 
other and gave him such a flogging 
that he howled with pain. 

“There, go now,” said he at last. “I 
guess my score with you is about even. 
If I could only catch Willie Steal be- 
fore I leave Wilful Land I’d be glad 
to give him all I have left.” 

“You’ll get no chance to meet him 


DEC 3 1913 


ii8 NED DAWSON 

now,” said Percy Vere. “You have 
made your last fight and it has been a 
good one. From this time on you will 
have to watch out for Evil Genius 
only. If you ever let him coax you 
back into Wilful Land you will have 
all your troubles over again. There 
is the boundary. Go straight for- 
ward, Ned, and when you have once 
crossed it never look back. It is better 
to ‘be good’ in your homeland than to 
be miserable in Wilful Land. I must 
leave you here. I hope I may never 
have to befriend you again on such 
an errand.” 

“I am sure you never will,” said 
Ned. “I’ve had enough. I’m going 
straight home to mother. She’ll give 
me that apple turnover.” 



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